hygiene

Dental health begins with good oral hygiene. This requires professional care and guidance provided by your dentist and dental hygienist, combined with proper care at home by you. That's the partnership. When you follow a recommended home care routine and have regular professional care, you will be able to maintain healthier teeth and gums.

A prophylaxis is a scaling and polishing procedure performed to remove normal plaque, calculus and stains. While the main objective of the prophylaxis is to help prevent gum disease, it can also improve the appearance of your teeth by making them look clean and bright. Scaling is performed using instruments to remove calculus from the teeth. Polishing with a special paste by means of a motorized instrument removes remaining plaque and surface stains caused by various foods, beverages and tobacco. Polished tooth surfaces make it more difficult for plaque and debris to accumulate.

You can help improve your oral hygiene by making plaque and calculus (tartar) control part of your daily routine. Proper brushing helps remove plaque from the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of your teeth. An accepted method for proper brushing is shown below. Your dentist or hygienist may suggest another. Flossing thoroughly helps remove plaque and debris from between the teeth, especially in hard-to-reach areas at and slightly under the gumline.

There's help for you. Crest® Tartar Protection helps reduce the formation of calculus above the gumline and is clinically proven safe for dental enamel and gums.The entire Crest® family provides the same cavity-fighting benefit and is accepted by the American Dental Association as an effective decay-preventive dentifrice. Listerine® antiseptic mouthwash is clinically proven to kill germs that cause bad breath, plaque, and the gum disease gingivitis. When Listerine® is combined with hydrogen peroxide in a 50:50 ratio it makes for a superior cavity-fighting mouthwash.